What Is Histamine Overload?
Histamine overload is an informal way of describing what happens when histamine piles up faster than your body can clear it. Some of it comes from your own cells, and some comes from what you eat and drink. Two enzymes handle the cleanup: DAO in your gut and HNMT inside your cells. When more histamine shows up than they can handle, you might notice flushing, itching, a stuffy nose, an unsettled stomach, or head pressure after a meal.1,2
If a glass of red wine leaves your cheeks flushed, or a charcuterie board leaves you bloated and foggy, you’re not imagining it. For many people, the trouble isn’t one particular food. It’s the total amount of histamine their body is being asked to process at once.
What Is Histamine?
Histamine is a compound your body makes on purpose. It helps control stomach acid, carries signals in the brain, and plays a part in immune responses. You also take it in through food, and aged, fermented, and cured foods tend to carry the most.1
Histamine accumulation in the body is an ongoing, natural process; the clearing of histamine is what varies from person to person, and the load can also change depending on various factors we will dive into below.
Aged cheese. Wine night. Leftovers. Give your gut’s histamine enzyme some backup.*
DAO is the enzyme your digestive tract uses to break down histamine from food. OmneDiem DAO, made with DAOgest®, adds mealtime support right where dietary histamine arrives.* Choose 15,000, 30,000, or 40,000 HDU.
Find Your DAO StrengthWhat Does “Histamine Overload” Mean?
Picture a kitchen sink. The faucet stands for every source of histamine: your meals, that glass of wine, and whatever your own cells release. The drain is how quickly your body can clear it, and two enzymes do most of that work:
- Diamine oxidase (DAO) works in the digestive tract and handles most of the histamine that comes from food.1,2
- Histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT) works inside cells all over the body.1
If the faucet runs faster than the drain can keep up, the water level rises. That’s really all “histamine overload” means. When it keeps happening, researchers call it histamine intolerance: a mismatch between how much histamine comes in and how much the body can break down.1,2,3
What Can Cause Histamine to Build Up?
It’s rarely just one thing. Researchers have identified several contributors, and most people have a few of them going at once.1,2,3
- A high-histamine diet. Think aged cheese, salami and other cured meats, sauerkraut, kombucha, soy sauce, leftovers, canned fish, and wine.
- Alcohol. Many drinks contain histamine, and alcohol may also interfere with DAO activity.1
- Lower DAO activity. Your genes, the state of your gut, and some medications can all affect how well DAO does its job. If you take a prescription, it’s worth asking your provider whether it plays a role.1,2
- Gut microbiome balance. Certain gut bacteria actually make histamine, and early studies have found that people with histamine intolerance tend to have a different mix of gut bacteria.6
- Hormonal shifts. Estrogen and histamine influence each other, which may help explain why some women notice changes at different points in their cycle or in midlife.1 We dig into that in The Histamine Hormone Trend.
Why Did I Suddenly Develop Histamine Intolerance?
It can feel like it came out of nowhere, but usually it didn’t. Think about the sink again. If the water has been sitting just below the rim for months, one more splash is all it takes to spill over. Researchers describe histamine intolerance as a threshold problem, where several small factors stack up until you cross your personal line.1,3
A few common tipping points:
- A new medication. Some medications can affect DAO. If your symptoms started around the time you began something new, mention it to your provider or pharmacist.1
- A change in gut health. A stomach bug, a course of antibiotics, or ongoing digestive trouble can affect both the gut lining, where DAO is made, and the bacteria that produce histamine.3,6
- Hormonal transitions. Perimenopause, menopause, pregnancy, and postpartum are all times when the estrogen–histamine relationship may shift.1
- A “healthy” diet change. Plenty of people start drinking kombucha, eating more sauerkraut, or sipping slow-simmered bone broth for their health, without realizing those foods add to the daily histamine total.
- More alcohol than usual. The holidays, a vacation, or a new nightly glass of wine adds histamine and may slow DAO at the same time.1
There’s good news in that, too. If a handful of things pushed you over the edge, changing a few of them may be enough to bring you back. A healthcare provider can help you figure out what shifted.
What Vitamin Deficiency Causes High Histamine?
No single vitamin deficiency has been proven to cause high histamine. That said, a few nutrients help your body clear it, and running low on them could make the drain work less efficiently.1,7,8
Vitamin C
This is the one with the most research. A 1980 study found that as vitamin C levels in the blood went down, histamine levels tended to go up.7 A small study years later found that taking 2 grams of vitamin C a day was associated with lower blood histamine in healthy adults.8
Vitamin B6
Enzymes like DAO need helpers, called cofactors, to work properly. Research lists vitamin B6 among them, which is why it shows up so often in conversations about histamine.1
Copper
Technically a mineral, not a vitamin, but it belongs on this list because DAO contains copper.1
For most people, a varied diet with plenty of fresh produce covers the basics. If you think you might be running low on something, ask your provider about a blood test instead of guessing. More isn’t always better, especially with copper.
What Might Histamine Overload Feel Like?
Histamine receptors are spread throughout the body, so this looks a little different for everyone. Here’s what people commonly describe, often not long after eating or drinking:1,2,4
- Flushing, warmth, or itchy skin
- Stuffy or runny nose, sneezing
- Bloating, gas, or occasional digestive discomfort
- Head pressure or a pounding head
- A racing heartbeat or feeling “off” after certain foods or wine
Many of these overlap with other issues, including food allergies. If they’re frequent or intense, check in with a healthcare provider before you start changing things on your own.
Your gut already makes DAO. This gives it a hand.*
OmneDiem DAO supplements provide the same enzyme your digestive tract uses to break down histamine from food. Take it with meals so it’s working right where dietary histamine shows up.* Made with DAOgest®, a standardized porcine kidney-derived DAO.
Explore DAO SupplementsHow Do You Get Rid of Excess Histamine in Your Body?
Back to the sink analogy. You have two levers: turn down the faucet, or unclog the drain. Here’s what research and clinical guidance suggest.2,3,5
1. Turn down the faucet with a lower-histamine diet
This is the most studied approach. Clinical guidelines lay it out in phases: first a short stretch of cutting back on high-histamine foods, then slowly bringing foods back to see what you tolerate, and finally settling into a long-term way of eating that’s as varied as you can make it.5 The point is to learn your limit, not to give up foods for good.
2. Choose fresh over aged
Histamine builds as food sits. Cook fish and meat while they’re fresh, freeze leftovers instead of letting them linger in the fridge for days, and keep aged, cured, and fermented foods to a minimum.2
3. Be mindful of alchohol high in histamine
Alcohol can bring histamine in and may slow DAO down at the same time, which is a double hit for the sink.1 If you want to go deeper, read Histamine Reactions and Alcoholic Beverages.
4. Support the drain with a DAO supplement*
A DAO supplement adds more diamine oxidase to your digestive tract to help break down histamine from food before your body absorbs it.* In one small four-week study, adults who took DAO with meals said they felt more comfortable after eating.4 The research is still developing, and it’s worth knowing that DAO supplements act on histamine from food, not histamine that’s already circulating in your body.
5. Cover your nutrient basics
Fresh fruits and vegetables take care of vitamin C. Round things out with foods that supply vitamin B6 and copper.1,7
6. Partner with a healthcare provider
There isn’t one reliable test for histamine intolerance. A provider will usually rule out other explanations first, like allergies or digestive conditions, before looking at histamine as the cause.2,3
What Supplement Breaks Down Histamine?
Diamine oxidase (DAO) is the supplement that actually breaks histamine down.* It’s the same enzyme your gut produces naturally. Take it shortly before a meal and it’s already in your digestive tract when histamine from food shows up, ready to help break it down before it’s absorbed.*2,4
Why does that matter? Most other ingredients in histamine-support formulas, which we’ll get to next, don’t break histamine down at all. DAO is the one doing the cleanup.
DAO strength is measured in HDU, short for histamine degrading units. OmneDiem makes three strengths, so you can pick the one that best fits your needs:
All three use DAOgest®, a porcine kidney-derived DAO. Porcine DAO is the form used in the published human research on DAO supplementation.4
What Is the Best Natural Histamine Blocker?
The short version: no supplement works the way an antihistamine medication does, and natural histamine blockers are still pending more human clinical trials and research. Here is a short list of nutrients and plant compounds that have been studied for supporting a healthy histamine response.* Most of that work comes from the lab or early-stage studies, so it’s best to keep expectations modest.
- Quercetin. A plant compound found in onions, apples, and capers. Lab research suggests it may help steady the immune cells that store and release histamine.*9
- Vitamin C. It has more human data than anything else on this list linking healthy levels to lower blood histamine.*7,8
- Stinging nettle leaf. An herb with a long history of traditional use for seasonal comfort, though modern research on it is limited.*
- Bromelain. An enzyme from pineapple that’s often paired with quercetin in seasonal formulas.*
Here’s how they differ from DAO: these ingredients are studied for how they affect histamine release and response, while DAO breaks down histamine from food.* That’s the thinking behind combination formulas like Histamine Complete, which pairs DAO with quercetin, bromelain, vitamin C, and stinging nettle leaf.* If you take an antihistamine or any other medication, talk with your provider before adding something new.
Find the right DAO strength for your plate*
Weeknight dinner or a night out with wine, there’s a strength for it: 15,000, 30,000, or 40,000 HDU of mealtime DAO support. Take it shortly before you eat, as directed on the label.*
Shop the DAO CollectionFrequently Asked Questions
Is histamine overload the same as an allergy?
No. A food allergy is the immune system reacting to a specific protein. Histamine overload, or histamine intolerance, comes down to balance: how much histamine is coming in versus how well your body breaks it down. The two can feel alike, so it’s worth having a provider take a look.1,3
What foods are highest in histamine?
The usual suspects are aged cheese, cured and smoked meats, fermented foods like sauerkraut and soy sauce, canned or older fish, leftovers, wine, and beer. Freshly cooked food is generally lower.2
What vitamin deficiency causes high histamine?
None has been proven to cause it on its own. Research links low vitamin C with higher blood histamine, and vitamin B6 and copper both help DAO work. A provider can check your levels with a simple blood test.1,7,8
How do you get rid of excess histamine in your body?
Most people work on two fronts: taking in less histamine (fresher food, less alcohol, a phased low-histamine diet) and supporting breakdown, for example with a DAO supplement at meals.* A healthcare provider can help rule out other causes.2,4,5
What supplement breaks down histamine?
Diamine oxidase (DAO) is the supplement that directly breaks down histamine from food.* It’s the same enzyme your digestive tract makes naturally, and it’s usually taken shortly before a meal.2,4
What is the best natural histamine blocker?
No supplement works like an antihistamine medication. Quercetin, vitamin C, stinging nettle, and bromelain are studied for supporting a healthy histamine response, though most evidence is early-stage. DAO is different — it breaks histamine down rather than blocking it.*7,9
Why did I suddenly develop histamine intolerance?
Usually it’s been building for a while. A new medication, a change in gut health, a hormonal transition, more fermented foods, or more alcohol can stack up until you cross your personal threshold. A provider can help pinpoint what changed.1,3
When should I take a DAO supplement?
DAO supplements are generally taken shortly before a meal so the enzyme is in your digestive tract when histamine from food arrives. Always follow the directions on your product label.*
Does alcohol make histamine overload worse?
It can. Many alcoholic drinks contain histamine, and alcohol may also get in the way of DAO, so your body may clear histamine more slowly.1
What is the difference between porcine and plant DAO?
Porcine DAO comes from pig kidney, while plant DAO usually comes from pea sprouts. Porcine kidney-derived DAO is the form used in the published human studies on DAO supplementation, and it’s the form in DAOgest®.4
Sources
- Maintz L, Novak N. Histamine and histamine intolerance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85(5):1185–1196. doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/85.5.1185
- Comas-Basté O, Sánchez-Pérez S, Veciana-Nogués MT, Latorre-Moratalla M, Vidal-Carou MC. Histamine intolerance: the current state of the art. Biomolecules. 2020;10(8):1181. doi.org/10.3390/biom10081181
- Hrubisko M, Danis R, Huorka M, Wawruch M. Histamine intolerance — the more we know the less we know. A review. Nutrients. 2021;13(7):2228. doi.org/10.3390/nu13072228
- Schnedl WJ, Schenk M, Lackner S, Enko D, Mangge H, Forster F. Diamine oxidase supplementation improves symptoms in patients with histamine intolerance. Food Sci Biotechnol. 2019;28(6):1779–1784. doi.org/10.1007/s10068-019-00627-3
- Reese I, Ballmer-Weber B, Beyer K, et al. German guideline for the management of adverse reactions to ingested histamine. Allergo J Int. 2017;26(2):72–79. doi.org/10.1007/s40629-017-0011-5
- Sánchez-Pérez S, Comas-Basté O, Duelo A, et al. Intestinal dysbiosis in patients with histamine intolerance. Nutrients. 2022;14(9):1774. doi.org/10.3390/nu14091774
- Clemetson CA. Histamine and ascorbic acid in human blood. J Nutr. 1980;110(4):662–668. doi.org/10.1093/jn/110.4.662
- Johnston CS, Martin LJ, Cai X. Antihistamine effect of supplemental ascorbic acid and neutrophil chemotaxis. J Am Coll Nutr. 1992;11(2):172–176. PubMed
- Mlcek J, Jurikova T, Skrovankova S, Sochor J. Quercetin and its anti-allergic immune response. Molecules. 2016;21(5):623. doi.org/10.3390/molecules21050623
This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a health condition.